Messenger of Ash
by SilXver
Summary: The Ashen One has completed his duty. He links the flame but it won't last long. The Age of Fire is fading away and soon The Age of Ancients will come again. He falls into an eternal slumber of dreams and memories from his distant past. Soon he will rise again to fulfill his duty a second time.
1. Chapter 1 - To Link The Flame

**Hello everyone and welcome to my first fan fiction story! I love both the Dark Souls and RWBY stories, so doing a crossover between the two will be absolutely fun for me. I'm going to put it out there, and I'm not going to accurate with some if not most information from Dark Souls, so please bear with me there. I also tend to make grammatical errors and the like.**

 **Heads up for anyone who has played Dark Souls. The Ashen One will be given as past and story, so he can seem more of a person in this world. Obviously, The Ashen One can be anything we want him to be. I'm not going to reveal what exactly he will be but he will be related to Prince Lothric. Elements from RWBY won't come up until around Chapter 3, so I hope that is fine with everyone. Anyway, let's begin. I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

The sun watches over the desolate wasteland.

A sun without light. A sun without warmth. A sun that reminded us of our end. The world will once again plunge into darkness.

It resembles the sign of the Undead curse. A curse that has ended countless ages and eras. A curse that has destroyed Kings and Queens. A curse that does not discriminate. A curse doomed to repeat.

A man looks up to the star above him and climbs up the stone steps. A man with no name. He has experienced death numerous times. His armor and boots worn out. By his sides is a sword and shield that have been with him through numerous battles. He can finally end it. He can fulfill his duty as the Ashen One. To extend the Age of Fire.

After the final step, The Ashen One sees his last obstacle. A knight kneeling down the center of the arena. The knight's armor was charred and broken. Small embers illuminated his entire body. He was holding a coiled sword embedded in the ground. The charred knight pulls out his sword and lunges towards his challenger.

The Ashen One dodges to left and slashes the knight diagonally. The charred knight reacts and turns. He slashes vertically and it slams into the shield of the Ashen One. The shield slides the sword to the right. The challenger stabs the knight and then takes a few steps back and holds his shield in front.

The knight conjures a large fireball and throws it. The Ashen One blocks it with his shield but the fireball burns his feet and outer torso. He rolls back and drinks from a golden bottle.

He looks back up to see five light blue crystals fired at him. The Ashen One runs forward and rolls. Three crystals slam into the ground and break. The Ashen One sprints towards the charred knight. Two crystals suddenly hit him from behind. He loses balance and rolls forward again. The knight swings his sword downwards and hits the ground. The Ashen One now behind him slices his back and jumps backward.

For the first time, the knight staggers and stops in pain. This Charred Knight was like nothing the Ashen One has fought before. This knight is the manifestation of all the beings that have extended the Age of Fire. They all had different abilities and strengths. Now they were all combined into one. To serve as a final line of defense to stop anyone who wishes to link the First Flame. He is the Soul of the Lords of Cinder. The Incarnation of Kings. The Soul of Cinder.

The Charred Knight plunges his sword into the ground. A huge fire is set ablaze around him. He pulls it out and swings it to his side. The sword is now a blade of flames. The Ashen One drops his shield and puts both of his hands on the handle of his sword. He lowers his stance holds the blade high, while the tip is pointing to the Soul of Cinder.

The Soul of Cinder jumps into the air and slams the ground. The ash and stone crack under the force of the blade. The sound booms around the entire arena. The Ashen One barely dodges backward from the blast. His shield was blown away and lies on the opposite side of the Arena.

A yellow light emerges from the palm of The Incarnation of Kings. It extends from his hand and it takes form as a lightning bolt. The Soul of Cinder cocks his hand back and quickly throws it. It flies through the air and a streak of yellow is left behind. The Ashen One dodges to left but the bolt was too fast and hits his right shoulder.

The Soul of Cinder runs forward and swings his blade to the Ashen One. He ducks to the left and the Soul of Cinder responds with another horizontal slash. The Ashen One puts his sword to his right and ducks. He puts all his strength to redirect the slash upward. The blade of flames goes over his head and the Ashen One carves his sword into the right leg of the Soul of Cinder.

The Soul of Cinder's left hand comes down and grabs the head of the Ashen One. The Soul of Cinder lifts him off the ground and his palm begins to emit a red glow. The heat suddenly expands and fire shoots out of his hand. The Ashen One is thrown in the air by the force of this sudden explosion. His armor rattles as it hits the jagged ground.

The Ashen One grabs the golden bottle again and then sees the Charred Knight jump to the air. The blade of flames over his head comes down and leaves the same damage as it did before. The Ashen One rolls forward and drinks from the golden container.

The Soul of Cinder is no longer the combination of skill sets and abilities. The Ashen One finds his fighting style to be more consistent. He used to fight with multiple stances but now The Soul of Cinder fought with one weapon and that is with a sword of fire. The Ashen One once again goes into a lower stance with his sword pointing at the Charred Knight.

The Soul of Cinder conjures another bolt of lightning but it's now longer than before. The Ashen One prepares to dodge but only sees the knight throw it into the air. The Ashen one looks above him to see a thunder cloud and then loud sound erupts from the grey cloud that would rival a loud slam from Yhorm. Suddenly, yellow spears rain down from the cloud. The Ashen One rolls to the right only to be met with a kick from the Soul of Cinder.

The Ashen One is met with an angled slash and then a horizontal slash. He ducks to the right and rolls to the left as it happens. The Soul of Cinder thrusts his blade towards his challenger. The Ashen One barely deflected that thrust upward from his right shoulder. The Ashen One shifts his weight forward and chops into the torso of The Soul of Cinder.

For the second time, this knight was staggered and The Ashen One took the opportunity to end this fight once and for all. He thrusts his sword into the slit of the helmet. An inhuman scream comes from it and then it became quiet. The Soul of Cinder was defeated. A white light emerges from his torso and then his armor and body fade away. All that is a left is the Soul of the Lords.

It hovered over where the Soul of Cinder used to be. Its flame still strong and going. Its embers hot and alive. This was a soul steeped in strength. The Ashen One puts his hand and absorbs the soul. The souls of many. The souls the have extended the Age of Fire. It's time for The Ashen One to be a Lord of Cinder. This time he will not fail to link the flame.

He puts his hand over the bonfire and links the first flame. The fire is lit and it begins to consume the body of The Ashen One. The fire did not expand into an explosion nor did the Kiln erupt ablaze. The fire was meager and slowly consumed the body of The Ashen One.

The Ashen One sits down and waits for his end. He may have extended the Age of Fire but not as long as his predecessors before him. He takes off his helmet and puts it beside him. His long black messy hair falls from his helmet and his brown eyes looking at the Sun.

A sun without light. A sun without warmth. A sun that reminded us of our end. The world will once again plunge into darkness.

He found solace in this arena. He knew that he has fulfilled his duty at the Ashen One. He closes his eyes and in his slumber, he recalls a memory long before he heard the sound of bells. Long before his first attempt to link the flame.

Maybe he can find his peace and sanctuary in those memories as the flame begins to fade once again and the Age of Ancients will rule once more…

* * *

 **And that's the first chapter of Messenger of Ash. I appreciate feedback and reviews, so please don't be afraid to bash my writing. That will be the only way I will get better. Thanks for reading and I hope you will read the next chapter! (Whenever that will be released.)**


	2. Chapter 2 - Distant Memories I

**Hello everyone and welcome back to Messenger of Ash! Honestly I was surprised with how many views this story got and it inspired me to write the second chapter today. There were reviews that I greatly appreciate and here are my responses to them.**

 **Jordanlink7856: Thank you for liking the fight. I know it was short but I did my best with the fight. Today's chapter will show the twin princes, so I hope you like it!**

 **Six samurai of dragon order: Thanks for the review! I hope you will continue looking forward to this story.**

 **Doopaloop: I thought my battle sequence was not that good but it makes smile seeing that you say they are good.**

 **Themaskedswordsman: Here is the next chapter. ;)**

 **Heads up again! This chapter will be delving through a lot of vague lore from Dark Souls, so it is entirely possible what I put here is inaccurate. Also I read the first chapter again and there was so much typos I did not fix. I will do my best to prevent those again.**

 **Anyway, let's begin! I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

There was a man clad in steel armor walks in Lothric Castle. His armor is predominantly red as a cloth covered the breastplate and it extended to the back of the armor. His leggings are protected from the feet to the thighs. He was holding his helm by his side. The man had short messy hair and brown eyes.

He enters a lift and it goes down. After a few minutes, the lift makes it to its destination and the knight walks into the garden.

He sees two familiar children running around. One child is being piggybacked by the other. The child being carried was frail and his legs are under developed. The other child was better built. He was muscular and well-toned. They both had long white hair. They notice the new visitor in the garden and smile. The older brother carrying the younger brother runs towards the knight and shouts.

"********! ********! Where have you been?! We haven't seen you for so long."

The knight smiles and puts his right hand over the older brother and shuffles his hair. "My apologies, Prince Lorian. I was away for a quest your father has bestowed to me." He looks to the frail child on his back. "Prince Lothric, I hope you are doing well."

Before Lothric could say anything, Lorian needed to speak first. "Please stop! You have your gauntlet on!" The knight immediately stops and gives a cheerful grin. The knight says "My apologies again Prince Lorian." Prince Lothric shifts his weight to the left, so he can see the knight better. "******** we told you that you don't have to be formal around us. We appreciate your company." The knight looks to his gauntlet and starts fixing it while at the same time answering Prince Lothric.

"I simply cannot address both of you without formalities. You two are the heirs to the throne and soon I may have to serve you both." He starts to laugh and says "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't because your father will have my head on a spike the second I call you Lorian and Lothric."

Lorian and Lothric frown as he said "father". The knight's smile fades and he speaks with a serious tone. "I jest. Your father is doing his best to manage the kingdom. He may have not much time for both of you but I told you this before. Your father holds both of you dear in his heart."

The children recover their smiles and Lothric asks "How was your journey?"

The knight looks with worry at Lorian. "I think it will be best if we sit down somewhere. This story will be long."

Lorian immediately interjects. "No! It's fine!" Lothric looks at his brother with a frown.

"Brother you should take a break. You have been carrying me for a while." Lorian stares at Lothric with intense eyes.

"It's fine! I need to do this. I told you Lothric I will be your legs since you can't walk and you will protect me with your magic. As the older brother, I will help you whenever you need it."

Lothric's face is filled guilt. He says "Fine brother, but don't force yourself if you get tired." Lorian replies with a smile and a nod. The knight makes a big smile seeing the interaction between the brothers.

The knight gestures to the two and tells them to come along. They pass through the different areas of the garden. It was filled with different types of plants and flowers. The air was refreshing and cold. The knight begins his story and the two children listen attentively.

"My quest brought me to a capital deep below. I had to pass through Irithyll of The Boreal Valley. It was very cold and the people around there were to. Their knights were tall and lean. They wielded long scimitars and triangular shields."

"It was strange. The pathway to the capital is in their dungeon which was disturbing. I saw prisoners in their jail cells waiting for their fate. The jailers there had iron rods with the end always hot, so they may brand their victims. One jailer brought me through and I reached the capital."

The knight chooses this moment to look at his audience and they are still interested. Lothric had his right hand on his chin as if he was contemplating something and Lorian still looked at him, hanging by his word.

"I was on my own now. To get there I had to cross a large stone bridge that was over a cliff. When I made it to the other side, I entered a large circular building and I had to go even deeper. I climbed down the ladder and I was able to finally found where Yhorm the Giant was residing."

"I presented my papers to the guard and they let me in. I was outside the throne room but it seemed Lord Yhorm was still attending to something, so I roamed around. I peeked into a room and it was filled with gold. It had jewels, cups, plates made of gold."

Lorian looks at the knight. " ******** don't tell me you stole from him." Lorian said with a sarcastic tone. The knight looks back and gasps.

"I sure did! I stole all of it and named myself Greirat!" He said with an even more sarcastic voice.

Lothric looking annoyed spoke up. "******** please continue the story."

The knight coughs and continues. "Naturally, I left that area and went back in front of the throne room and waited there. Soon, I was called in. Lord Yhorm was a giant alright. All the rumors and stories about him were true. What I did not expect from him was that he was courteous and well-mannered."

"I'm not allowed to go in the specific details but I was there to give him a message of great importance. I had a small conversation with the lord and it was enlightening to know who he really was."

Lorian and Lothric both say at the same time. "What was he like?"

The knight looks to the sky. "He was a king and lord who truly cared for his people. I wouldn't mind serving a man like him." He looks back at the two. "But of course. I'm here serving King Oceiros."

Lorian eyes bright up at the mention of Yhorm being a good king. He immediately asked "How strong was he?"

The knight's eyes soften as he was used to this kind of question. He answers "To be honest Lorian, I would be scared to ever fight a force like him. I saw at his side he wielded a great weapon and he was a giant. I think it is safe to say that he is very strong."

Lorian with excitement says "Hahaha! When Lothric and I grow older, we will be able to beat him with my swordsmanship and Lothric's magic!"

Lothric lightly slaps Lorian's head. "Are you stupid?! Why should we fight an honorable and kind king?"

Lorian gives a light 'ouch' as his brother hits him. He looks at his brother. "What was that for?! I meant that we should spar with him, not kill him."

The younger brother looks at him with a palm to his face. "Why do you always ask about how strong people are brother?"

The older brother looks back and grins. "Because I want to fight them. I want to prove how strong I can be. I mean I'm very good with a sword."

The knight finally chooses to step in and gives polite laugh. "At least you know what you want to do." The knight looks at the ground beside him and sees two long sticks. He looks back at Lorian and says "Do you want to spar?"

Lorian gives the biggest smile he can muster and immediately says "YES!" Lorian goes to the nearby stone steps and puts his brother down. "You are okay with this right Lothric?"

Lothric gives an expression of cockiness. "I'm okay with you with losing." Lothric bursts into laughter.

The older brother picks up one of the sticks and points it to Lothric. "That is not funny Lothric. Just stick to being a sheltered shy little brother."

Lothric stops laughing and Lorian realizes he gone too far with that one. "I'm just kidding. I'm sorry." He looks back at his opponent and wields his stick with two hands. "Are you ready?"

The knight holds his stick with one hand and extends it forward as if he was holding a rapier. He raises his head a bit and says "It should be me asking that question Prince Lorian."

Lorian rushes forward and is immediately met with a smack to the head. "Owww! That hurts !"

The knight laughs and criticizes Lorian. "Don't just charge in like that. You will be killed if this wasn't a stick." The knight goes forward and extends his hand to the prince. "Another round?"

Lorian grabs it and stands up. "Of course!" Both combatants go back to their original positions and claim their stances.

Lothric by the stairs, smiles and swings his arms slowly. The knight does not notice this and asks to Lorian "Are you ready?" Lorian takes a glance behind him and sees Lothric doing his thing.

Lorian gives a big grin and shouts "Yes!" The knight smiles as Lorian charges in the same way he did before.

The knight moves forward and swings his stick down. "You are making the same mistake aga-" A small magic orb comes from nowhere and strikes his torso.

Lorian takes his chance and swings the stick at his face. "Hahaha! Gotcha!" The knight falls to the ground and sits.

"You know that wasn't fair."

Lorian responds with "It wasn't fair to begin with, so this counts."

The knight stands up and looks at Lothric. "Who knew you were a sly cunning one Prince Lothric." He dusts himself off and looks to both of them. "That was good teamwork from both of you. If both of you master your craft then Yhorm will have something to deal with."

Lorian points at the knight. "I told you! I will be his legs and he will protect me with his magic. We will be unstoppable!"

The knight looks at Lorian. "Don't get cocky now. That will be your downfall."

Lorian laughs and points his stick at the knight. "Do you want another round?"

The knight looks at Lothric. "This time I know what to expect. Come at me!"

The scene plays out in The Ashen One's thoughts and the memory fades. The voices become softer and softer as it goes.

A ship in Mountain Glenn drops off four girls and a single man. Around them are cities buildings long destroyed, streets with no one walking them. The man had green hair and he looks at the four girls.

"Ladies, you still may be students, but as of this moment your first mission as a huntress has begun. From this point forward you need to do exactly as I say. Do you understand?"

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 **That was the second chapter of Messenger of Ash! I hope you liked it! The next chapter will now be focused on Team RWBY and their eventual encounter with the Ashen One. Remember to review and bash my writing! Thanks for reading and I hope you read the next chapter! (Whenever that will be released.)**


	3. Chapter 3 - Search And Destroy

**Hello everyone and welcome back to Messenger of Ash! This took a while because I doubled the words in this chapter which I'm proud of. Some of the dialogue is taken from Volume 2: Search and Destroy because you know it's part but I did my best to describe and change it up. Anyway let's get to the reviews!**

 **TheSoviets: Yeah he will be. I'm going to have trouble writing that scene since you know…. emotions and stuff.**

 **Guests: Thanks for the compliments and here is the next chapter!**

 **That is it! Here is Chapter 3: Search and Destroy!**

* * *

The four girls look at their professor and nod their heads. All of them know what this mission meant for Remnant and for them. They were color coded from left to right: Red, White, Black, and Yellow.

The green haired professor looked at the girl of red and noticed the backpack she is carrying. He looks to the left and takes step forward. "Ruby!" The girl takes a step back and puts her hands in front of her as a response. "I told you to put all of your bags back at school!"

Ruby points her right pointer finger to the sky and moves her hand forward. She says "But, uh you hadn't told us to listen to you yet." She shrugs and continues. "So I didn't" The three other girls look away, disappointed with Ruby's excuse. To their surprise, Professor Oobleck accepts it.

"She's not wrong." Professor Oobleck takes a moment to think. "Very well, Ruby you may leave your bag here and we will pick it up once we return."

Ruby doesn't reply and looks to the bag she is carrying. "I can't Zwei be discovered!" she thought to herself. She looks at the professor and can't think of anything. "But I-whaa"

The Doctor has lost his patience and snaps. "Young lady what in the world could you possibly have in that bag that could be so important for you to bring it-" and then a grey creature pops out of the bag. The dog breathes heavily and has its tongue out.

The three girls look at Ruby in unison. The black and white girls giving a look of "oh she's screwed" and the yellow girl giving a look of "HAHAHA! SHE'S REALLY SCREWED!" Ruby mustering the only thing she could say. She looks at Zwei. "Get back in the bag." Zwei replies with a bark.

Oobleck comments with an angry tone. His eyes covered by the white light from the reflection of his glasses. "We are here to investigate an abandoned city filled with death and hostility and you brought, a dog?"

Ruby takes another step back and she can only muster two words. "I-uhh…!"

Once again to everyone's surprise Oobleck accepted it. The doctor points his hand to the sky and shouts "Genius!" With a whoosh, the professor grabs the Zwei and spins with him. As the professor comes and grabs her dog, Ruby falls from the momentum of Doctor Oobleck and his the ground with a thud. "Canines are historically known for their perceptive nose and heighten sense of sound making them excellent companions for hunts such as ours!" The dog barks in agreement.

With a lucky victory, Ruby points to herself with her thumb and proclaims herself as a genius. The yellow girl Yang is the first one to put her palm on her face followed by the white girl Weiss. That leaves the black girl Blake to look away again in disappointment but looks to the doctor. "So, what are your orders doctor?"

Oobleck stops in his tracks and looks at Blake. "Ah! Yes! Straight to the chase, I like it!" He drops Zwei and recomposes himself. "As you have been informed the Southeast area has been marked as a recent hotspot for Grimm activity. Now there are several possibilities for this behavior. One of which being, Grimm.

Weiss and Blake look at each other, lost in what the doctor just explained to them. Ruby takes initiative and asks "Uhh, what?"

Oobleck replies with "Grimm, a creature of Grimm approximately 100 yards from our position at this very moment."

Yang shouts "What? Where?!"

The huntresses look back and see a lone beowolf. Ruby and Yang look excited while Weiss and Blake looked worried. All four of them pull out their weapons primed and ready for a fight. The professor puts his hand up to halt them. "Stop."

Blake looks back at Oobleck and responds with a "huh?"

The doctor puts his hand down and looks to Blake. "There are a number of reasons why Grimm would congregate in this particular area. The most likely of which would be their attraction to negativity. Sadness, envy, loneliness, hatred, all qualities that are like held by our hidden group harboring ill intent."

Ruby shrugs with her scythe prepared in her hands. "So, what now?"

"We wait, we track, if the specimen leads us to its pack, that pack may subsequently lead us to our prey."

Yang eager and wanting to jump in asks "How long do we wait then?"

"It's uncertain, hours, days, weeks, why lone Grimm have been known to stand isolated from the pack for months-" and then pack of beowolf appear from the surroundings ahead of them. "-and there's the whole pack."

Weiss filled disbelief says "What?!"

The doctor wishing to help Ms. Schnee repeats his last statement "And now they've seen us."

Weiss again says "What?!"

The doctor says it again and raises his volume "AND NOW THEY'VE SEEN US!"

Ruby turns to the professor and raises her hand. "I guess tracking is out of the question?"

"An accurate assumption, yes."

The pack of beowolf notices the group and starts charging as a pack. Yang smiles and punches her knuckles together. "LET'S GO!" The yellow girl fires her shotgun shells behind her back to increase her speed. She meets one of the Grimm head-on and gives a right hook. The beowolf is immediately taken out and is knock to the side. Yang continues running and punches every Grimm in her way.

Ruby impales her scythe to the ground and aims at the black creatures. She looks to Zwei and warns him to cover his ears. Zwei tilts his head wondering how he is supposed to do that. As Yang rushes ahead, Ruby stays behind and provides cover fire with her sniper rifle.

Some of the Grimm pass Yang's reckless charge and run after the group. Blake takes a step forward and draws her weapon. One of the beowolf ahead of the pack, lunges into Blake but only to stab the air. Blake jumps vertically and looks down. She shifts her weight downward and slices through the torso of the beowolf.

She lands on the ground only to kick another charging beowolf upward. She backflips and cleaves through the second beowolf.

Once Blake hits the ground, she leaves another clone and jumps upwards. The third beowolf falls for the clone and swipes at it. Blake with her blades over her head slash down and slice the beowolf into halves. She lands and looks at Weiss.

Weiss jumps in the air slashing beowolves repeatedly. She takes two beowolves out and she lands. She crouches and jumps forward, with her rapier at front. She rushes into five beowolves. Weiss while she is in the air, slices one each as she passes by. As she lands again, all of them fall to her blade.

There were a few stragglers and Team RWBY finished them off. Ruby goes to Doctor Oobleck and gives a cocky grin. "Heh, piece of cake."

The doctor replies with a serious tone. "Do not celebrate yet, for I am certain this bout is the first out of many."

* * *

 _ **Tick. Tick. Tick.**_

That first sounds that The Ashen One has heard in centuries. The only thing that he feels from the clicking is "You need to do your duty." A magical will urges him to move. It urges him to wake up and awake from his slumber.

 _ **Tick. Tick. Tick.**_

He opens his eyes and even though it's dark he forces himself to stand up. His armor is rusted and brittle and they break under the pressure. The leggings break in halves. The breastplate crumbles into to dust and his helmet is no longer by his side.

 _ **Tick. Tick. Tick.**_

The Ashen One removes his gauntlet and throws away his sword. He is only left with his white tunic and trousers. He looks to the coiled sword in front of him. He grabs it and removes from the ground. He channels his souls into the sword and stabs it into the ground. Light emerges from the sword and sets on fire. He feels the warmth touch his skin and he takes comfort from it. The Ashen One looks around and he still in the Kiln of The First Flame.

 _ **Tick. Tick. Tick.**_

He thinks for a moment to wonder why he is still in here and why he is conscious over his actions. He should be a Lord of Cinder but he is called to duty somewhere else. "Has the Age of Ancients ended?" He thinks to himself and knows he cannot find the answer here. The Ashen One looks at the place where he slept. Dread flows throughout his entire body as he thinks of the Twin Princes.

 _ **Tick. Tick. Tick.**_

He puts his hand over the bonfire and closes his eyes. He remembers Prince Lorian and Lothric and the time he spent with them in his dreams and memories. The Ashen One crouches down and extends his arm forward. "Deliver me to where I need to be." His body fades and he is taken to another location.

* * *

A white haired woman stands on top of a black mountain. She looks down at the creatures she has created but then she feels something is off. She felt the presence of The Ashen One.

"The Ashen One has finally returned."

The white haired woman closes her eyes and controls that sight of a Nevermore over where the Ashen One's presence seems to be. The Ashen One is seen in damaged building where the second floor is entirely destroyed. She smiles and concentrates. "I knew you will rise sooner or later."

The Grimm in the immediate area is alerted to The Ashen One's presence. "Let's see if you are still the same." She turns around and walks down the mountain. A little bit of energy in each step going down. "Soon, everything will be set in motion."

* * *

"Shall we continue?"

Oobleck raises his fist and looks at Team RWBY. Ruby answers with an ecstatic yes while Blake and Weiss nod according. Yang punches her fist together and shouts "YEAH LET'S DO THIS!"

Suddenly growls and howls ring throughout the entire block and the doctor puts his hand on his Thermos. "We may have alerted the other packs in the surrounding area." Team RWBY immediately get into battle formation and look at the intersection ahead. To their surprise, a pack of Grimm did not turn and attack instead they continued and cross the intersection.

Weiss is confused and lost as to why the Grimm is not attacking them. She puts her right hand on her chin and starts rubbing it. "Professo-"

"DOCTOR!" Doctor Oobleck immediately interjects with vigor.

Weiss coughs and maintains her composure. "Doc-tor Oobleck, why did the Grimm pass us if they know we are here?" All the girls lower their weapons as well and look to their teacher for the answer.

The doctor rubs his chin and looks to Weiss. "Well young lady, they are multiple possibilities that may answer that question but there is only one correct answer!" He runs forward and looks back while running. "And this is the only way we will find out!" Yang shrugs and starts running followed by Ruby, Blake, and Weiss.

* * *

The Ashen One stands up and opens his eyes. By instinct, he puts his hand over his eyes as a reaction to the light his eyes haven't seen in so long. He blinks a few times and looks around him. He was in a building half destroyed, the walls were taken apart while the beams hold strong. He steps outside to the asphalt streets. The Lord of Cinder looks up to the sky and sees the sun. He smiles as he is assured he is in another Age of Fire and then frowns. Another Age of Fire meant another First Flame that needed to be linked. He can't help but feel how many times the Fire has been linked up to this point.

The Ashen One looks around and sees structure that he has never seen before. They were rectangular in shape and built with a material he is not familiar with. Even the Souls of Lord inside him, tell that no one can explain what they are supposed to be. He kneels down and grabs a brown rectangular object. He examines all of the sides and can conclude it's a brick but he does not know what material it's made of. The Ashen One tosses it up and down. "It's not as heavy as stone." He thought. He stands up and looks at the environment around him.

"What should I do first?" was the question on The Ashen One's mind. He grabs the side of his head with his right hand and thinks what he should do. He looks around and he resolve strengthens. They has been only one thing he has been doing and that is pushing himself forward. Out of nowhere, sounds of numerous steps are coming from the corner by his right. These steps weren't human. They were the sounds of a pack looking for its prey.

A pack of Beowolves turn from the corner and spot their target. The Ashen One takes a step back and analyzes the unknown creature in front of him. "Wolves." He thought. The Lord of Cinder grabs the brick beside him and holds his ground. He takes a big step forward and bends his left knee. He swings with his right arm with the momentum from his entire body and lets go of the brick.

And it hits the mark.

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?!"

Weiss did not like the idea of following Grimm. She knew that they would be able to defeat them if the situation called for it but she does not want to be ambushed either way. She grabs her rapier a bit tighter every step they followed the pack.

Oobleck looked to the girl to his left and rubs his chin. "That is an excellent question Weiss! I have to admit this is probably not the best idea we could come up with but it is rather the fastest way to find out."

Weiss had a look of absolute disbelief. She was questionable about Doctor Oobleck but this takes the cake. "Doctor Oobleck may I sugg-"

"Don't misunderstanding me young lady. I understand where you are coming from." The huntsman looks to all the girls who have been spectating. "Ladies, our jobs as huntsmen and huntresses is to protect Remnant is that correct?" The girls nod along. "Then it is our duty to protect Remnant from the biggest threat to mankind and that is the Grimm. We study them and learn what their weaknesses are. We discover their behavioral patterns and instincts." Oobleck's eyes sharpen and he adds a tone of authority to his voice. "And to do those things we have to jump into danger. Right now ladies, we cannot let this opportunity slip away from us as it may lead us to our target. Is that understood?" They nod again this time but assured.

The girls' perspective on Professor Oobleck changes. All of them especially Weiss did not see the professor as a "real" huntsman but this talk just showed them how real he can be. Weiss looks down and musters up the only words she can say. "I'm sorry."

The doctor for a moment was worried but then put on a face of encouragement. "Dear girl, there is nothing to apologize for. You only thought what was best for the team that is all."

Yang increases her pace to meet up with Ruby. She leans in and puts her hand on her mouth to not let anyone hear what they are talking about. "Damn, Professor Oobleck just schooled Weiss."

Ruby looks at Yang and puts her hand on her nose. To indicate the she has glasses. "It's DOC-TOR Yang." both of them laugh and Ruby smiles. "After that Doctor Oobleck seems more…."

"Huntsman-ly?"

Yang smiles knowing what her sister is talking about. Ruby nod and grins. "Yup that's the word! The red girl increases her speed and looks forward. "I don't want Doctor Oobleck getting mad at us for talking."

The older sister points finger guns at her sister and smirks. "That is a good call." She slows her pace to widen the distance.

A million thoughts are flying through Doctor Oobleck's head. He hasn't seen anything like this before. The Grimm were mindless creatures who ambush any prey in its sight but this suggest they have some semblance of logical thinking. That is simply impossible! These Grimm don't seem to be aged enough to gain the wisdom to not attack humans. Even if they had that knowledge and wisdom, they would have attacked us with all the packs converging in our area. One question is coming in his head. "What are they up to?"

The pack of Grimm they were following turned right into a corner. Doctor Oobleck looks back to his team. "Huntresses quicken your pace! We are losing them!" All of them nod at the same time and increase their cadence to times two.

* * *

 _ **Crrrk!**_

The brick slams into the head of the beowolf and lets out a whimper. The rest of their pack leave him behind and continue to their target. The Ashen One bends his legs and lowers his stance in preparation for the attack ahead of him. The first beowolf lunges at the head of The Ashen One. In response, he ducks and forces his body upward to flip the beowolf over as he passes over him. The second beowolf comes in with a horizontal slash at his torso. The Ashen One has no time to react and gets a gash in his chest. This pain was nothing to the man who has died hundreds of times and gives a left hook to the second beowolf. The beowolf gets hit and his head swings to the left from the hook. It was staggered.

The Ashen One was about to give it an uppercut but a third beowolf jumps in front to its pack mate. Two claws come crashing down as The Ashen One jumps back and regains his stance. The first beowolf gets up and stays in his position. The three remaining beowolves circle The Ashen One. He looks around and assesses the situation. Two were injured while three are still untouched and he is now surrounded. This is one of the harder situations he has been put into. He grabs hanging cloth from his tunic where the claw ripped into and wraps his right hand.

All the beowolves give growls and roars at The Ashen One but he is unfazed. The third beowolf charges at him and jumps in the air. The first beowolf jumps from behind and slashes downward. The Ashen One sidesteps to the left calmly and they collide. The third beowolf slams into the first. The fourth beowolf and fifth beowolf who are across him, rush at him at the same time. He takes a backstep and their head slam together. The second beowolf jumps over them and does an angled slash. The Ashen One ducks to the right and with his momentum punch into the rib of the second beowolf. It slams into a wall of a nearby building and stops moving.

The remaining beowolves recover to their formation and make a circle around him. The first beowolf in frustration, jumps into the air attempting to slash downward again. The Ashen One dashes in and with the same momentum, swing upward into the gut of beowolf. The three beowolves stay in their position waiting for the best opportunity to strike.

The Ashen One takes this opportunity to analyze the battlefield again. Two dead, one injured, and two untouched. Three of them lunge at The Ashen One and he waits for a moment. A half second later, he takes a step back and their heads hit each other. They stop moving as the force from all three beowolves recoils into their body.

The Ashen One looks around and sees the bodies of wolves around him. He walks to the nearest one and kneels down. None of the wolves he has seen were like this. They had gray fur and they did not have a white mask with red linings. They also did not have white shards in their body. There is something off. Not with the wolves but something that happens usually after defeating an enemy. The Ashen One puts his hand near his chest. He did not absorb any souls. That means the creatures he just fought against were soulless.

He stands up and looks down at the beowolf. "What does this mean? How are these creatures born if they do not have a soul? Even animals back then, had souls. What kind of creature is soulless and exists at the same time?" The Ashen One sits down to think about this until he notices to his right, a colorful group of people turn from the corner.

* * *

Doctor Oobleck and Team RWBY continue following the pack of Grimm from a distance away. The pack of Grimm speed up even where Ruby starts struggling to keep pace. Oobleck shouts "Keep running! They are probably near their destination if they chose to speed up!"

Another corner comes up and they turn right. They are 500 meters away from the pack and they are gaining distance. They turn left and leave their pursuers behind. As Team RWBY and Doctor Oobleck near the corner they hear sounds of combat. They turn left and see a man in the middle of six defeated Beowolves.

He was young man with long black messy hair. He wore no armor but only light clothing with a white shirt and brown pants. What was the most unusual aspect of this man was that he gave an aura of poise. He did not look angry or sad. His posture was proper and straight. As he looked at them, he did not change his face.

The Ashen One has noticed them and Ruby takes the first step and runs forward. Doctor Oobleck puts his hand out. "Ruby!" She was too fast for him to grab, so he follows Ruby, hoping that this mysterious man in front of them wasn't a foe. The rest of the team follow suit and Yang runs as fast as she can to catch up to her sister.

Ruby just followed her instincts and thought this man may need some help. She was a huntress and this was what she always wanted to do. She wanted to help people and become a hero. She goes next to the man and notices the gash in his chest. "Are you okay?!" she says with worry.

The Ashen One sees a girl approaching him at inhuman speeds. His first instinct was to run and flee but he restrains himself to stand still. He notices that the girl did not have her weapons out, so she may be an ally. The red girl stops in front of him with a face full of concern and ask if he was okay. He was about to speak but a yellow girl comes from behind and stands in front of the red one. "Stay back Ruby! We don't know who he is."

A green haired man puts himself between the gap of The Ashen One and Yang. Without looking back, he says "Precisely! Ruby we will discuss this later when this is dealt with." His eyes focus on the mysterious man. A million different questions pop into his mind but one needed to be asked the most. "Young man who are you?"

The Ashen One knew who he was but he is wasn't able to recall his name. He also thought how he should answer in this situation. If he says something off then he will ruin his chances to find out more about the world and this might be his only chance to know more. He thinks for a moment and answers to the green haired man. His voice was full of calmness and experience that it rivals Ozpin's voice in those departments. "I'm sorry but I do not have a name. After all this time, I have not been able to recall it."

Oobleck was about to speak but a sarcastic voice comes from behind. "What you have amnesia?! Who would believe that Mr. No Name?" Everyone looks to Yang as if she has made the situation worse but The Ashen One stays the same and remains calm.

"I know it's hard to believe but it is true." He said once again with the same level of calmness and experience. Yang felt sincerity in contrast to her sarcastic comment and feels a bit guilty for her statement earlier. She coughs and tries to play it off smoothly.

Doctor Oobleck looks at The Ashen One with suspicious eyes and rubs his chin. "You said 'After all this time' correct? So, how long have you had this 'amnesia' for?"

The mysterious man once again thinks for a moment and answers. "I'm not sure how long it has been but I had it for quite some time."

Oobleck even feels more suspicious of "Mr. No Name" but knows that he will not get more information if he will continue to interrogate him here. There is another pressing matter and that would be why did the Beowolves attack him first instead of them. If he wanted to find out more he will need to bring him back to Beacon. "Well young man if do you really have amnesia then it would be best if you stayed with us but with the circumstance that you have somehow managed to eliminate six beowolves with your bare fists and being here in a restricted area I must bring you to my superiors."

The Ashen One did not know how good or bad this situation was. In one hand, this meant that he would be able to get information and potentially make allies but in the other hand, this could be trap where they don't trust him and they will betray him in some way. His instincts were saying it was the latter but one factor told him it's the former and that was the red girl. She was genuinely concerned for him when he was hurt. She did not care if was a trap or not. She just knew she had to help him. The Ashen One hasn't seen this compassion in a long time and it's refreshing to see. With the information said from the green haired man, the most likely profession they have are adventurers are something of the like. Why else would they enter into a dangerous area?

The Ashen One nods to agree with Doctor Oobleck. "Take me where I need to be taken." Ruby lets go a breath of relief as no fight between them erupted. She goes again to the front avoiding Yang. "What should we call you then 'Mr. No Name'?" The other two girls who haven't spoken yet are at the back still cautious of him.

The man looks at Ruby. "People call me 'The Ashen One'." Apparently his voice was too low because Ruby misunderstood him.

"People called you Ashlan? Well it's nice to meet you. I guess." The Ashen One did not dislike the name and he did not want to correct her. He nods and smiles. The Ashen thought what this group of people may have in store for him…

* * *

 **And that was chapter 3 of Messenger of Ash! I hope you enjoyed it. I had a brainstorming session with my friend and it helped me planned out a better overall plot of this entire thing. You know I really made it hard for myself when The Ashen One can't explain that he is from the past. Anyway, remember to review and bash my writing! Thanks for reading and I hope you read the next chapter! (Whenever that will be released.)**


	4. Chapter 4 - Knowledge and Experience

**Hello everyone and welcome back to Messenger of Ash! It's been while since I have a life (kinda). I was planning on making this chapter way longer but I decided just to split it up instead. It will take a long time for me to reach to the point I had in mind. Anyway let's get to the reviews!**

 **Themaskedswordsman: It's nice to see that you are still here man! I hope this is interesting as well.**

 **Guest and Warden of Lore: I'm sorry but I don't have a good reason for him to have the Soul of Cinder** **Armour. He may have defeated the Soul of Cinder but remember that does not apply in this Age of Fire or in this case Remnant. I figured that having him without his equipment would give him the opportunity to do two things. First, he would be able to get new equipment to replace his old ones which means that The Ashen One could have some awesome swords and armour. Second, it just shows how strong and experienced the Ashen One is when it comes to combat and I wanted him to have that impression to the characters around them, so I hope both of you are willing to stick around. Thanks for the feedback!**

 **That is it! Here is Chapter 4: Knowledge and Experience**

* * *

"Okay girls! We have another objective with our operation and that is to protect Mr. Ashlan from any other threats and enemies. Is that understood?"

A happy Ruby nods her head eagerly while the other three girls hesitantly nod. Yang steps forward and points to Ashlan. "Mr. Amnesia obviously knows how to fight maybe he can help us find our target. I mean we can make him useful, right?"

Doctor Oobleck puts both of his hands behind his back. "Young lady, Mr. Ashlan here is still a civilian. It does not matter if he has experience in combat. It is our job to protect civilians and leave them out of danger unless he can say he is a hunter or the sort he will not fight."

The doctor looks at gash and puts massages his temple. "I want everyone to secure the surrounding area. I will treat the wounds of our young man here." The girls leave in pairs. Yang and Ruby walk off to the west side while Weiss and Blake go the opposite direction.

The newly name Ashlan looks to Doctor Oobleck and extends his hand forward. "May I ask for your name?"

Oobleck slowly grabs his hand and shakes it. He takes off his glasses and stares at Ashlan. "Tell me now. Who are you really?" he says with a voice of authority.

The Ashen One closes his eyes and stands completely still. "What do you me-"

"Mr. Ashlan, you just said you don't have a name but you were still able to answer Ruby's question earlier did you not?"

The mysterious man looks down and rubs his forehead. He knew he wasn't good liar. He crosses his arms together and meets the intense stare of Oobleck. "I'm from an age long past and I'm was awoken from my slumber to complete my duty once again."

Oobleck's already narrow eyes grow narrower. This man just proclaimed he was from an ancient era and if this were any other man, he wouldn't believe them but this man was different. There is a voice in the back of his head rejoicing for a specimen still alive from the past but safety goes first for the children. "Mr. Ashlan that is hard to believe. Can you prove it?"

Ashlan curses to himself realizing that there is no way he can prove that he is from the past. There is nothing he could provide unless he shows him an item that has saved him countless of times. He moves his hand to grab his Estus Flask from his pocket and Oobleck puts his hand by his Thermos in response. The Ashen One shows him a golden artifact. "This is called an Estus Flask. The liquid within this flash is called Estus and it has healing properties." He takes puts the flask on his mouth and starts drinking. The gash from his chest reformed until there is no longer a scratch.

Doctor Oobleck is speechless. He couldn't begin to fathom what benefits this substance will be able to provide for Remnant. He was doctor and he knows no machine that can do the same thing this liquid can. There is still doubts in his head but now there is significant chance that he may be from the past. He puts on his glasses again and fixes it with his middle finger. "To answer your question earlier my name is Bartholomew Oobleck." He lets out and sigh and looks to Ashlan. "I will withdraw my questions for now Mr. Ashlan and I'm taking a significant risk in trusting you but if there is a chance you are from the past then that outweighs the risks that may happen in this mission." Oobleck grabs his Thermos and it turns into a torch like weapon. "The moment I see you are a danger to those girls then you will face the consequences." The torch like weapon turns back into a bottle and Oobleck attaches it to this belt. He coughs. "I hope we have settled on an agreement."

The Ashen One is not at all upset by the threat by Doctor Oobleck. He is just protecting the girls and he knows what it feels to protect someone from anything. He smiles. "Well Sir Oo-

Doctor Oobleck suddenly grabs his hand and shakes it. "IT'S DOCTOR OOBLECK. FOR YOUR INFORMATION!"

Ashlan is taken aback but he recovers and maintains his smile. "Doctor Oobleck I thank you for your trust in me. I know it's hard to believe."

* * *

"He is so cool! I mean he took out six beowolves with his bare hands Yang! HIS BARE HANDS! Imagine if he uses a weapon then he will be even stronger!"

Yang puts both of her hands on Ruby's shoulders and shakes her. "Ruby don't do that again you hear me?"

Ruby tilts her head in confusion. "What do you mean Yang?"

Yang shakes her head in disappointment and gives Ruby her dead eyes. "Mr. Amnesia over there could have been enemy and he could have hurt you!"

Ruby pushes her sister's hands off her shoulders and looks to Yang with eyes full of hope. "But he was in danger and he needed help. That what we do as Huntresses right? Be a hero and save people as best as we can, isn't it?"

Yang is shocked by how naïve Ruby is in this situation. She knew her dream was becoming a hero but she did not know how idealistic Ruby's view was on being a huntress. Yang can't help but feel worried for her little sister. Ruby was somewhat right though. Yang remembers the response from Mr. Amnesia and it was as genuine as it gets. She now feels even more conflicted than before and lets out a frustrated scream. "It's just that there is something off with him. I don't know what it is but I can just feel it!"

Ruby gives a look of pity and is grateful that Yang is worried for her safety and wellbeing. She puts her hand on her right shoulder as a sign of comfort. "Yang I'm fine! Mr. Ashlan did not hurt me at all and he seems cool."The older sister finally gives up and shrugs. "Fine! I will trust Mr. Amnesia for now but if I see anything sketchy Mr. Ashlan will feel the _flame!"_ Yang turns to the side and goes into a fighting stance and punches the air a few times. At the end, she gives smirk and looks at her younger sister.

She sees Ruby with her hand on her face in response to her "pun". Ruby couldn't help but feel ashamed for that bad attempt at a pun. Her sister (writer) has made a lot of cheesy ones but this one isn't good or cheesy at all. She puts her hand down slowly and gives an awkward smile. "Su-re Yang…"

Yang puts her arm around her sister's neck and rubs her fist into Ruby's hair. Ruby tries removing her sister's arm off her neck but she is too strong. They laugh and enjoy the moment. Yang looks around and there is no Grimm in sight. "Come on Sis, we have walked far enough there is nothing to report here."

Ruby nods frantically. She continues her attempt on removing Yang's arm off her neck and bends her legs off the ground. This was an attempt to use all her weight to remove Yang's arm. She looks at her sister with one eye. "I agree! Can you let me go now?!"

Yang see Ruby's legs no longer touching the ground and gives a cocky grin. "Sure! I don't mind!" She quickly removes her hand from her neck and Ruby falls to the ground butt first.

Ruby stands up and massages her backside. "Yang that hurts!" She turns and starts walking away. "Let's go before Doctor Oobleck gets mad."

Yang jogs to catch up to Ruby. "Yeah we should huh? Let's go before we get attacked by a pack of Grimm." She laughs at the end of her sentence and they begin their trek back to their professor.

* * *

Weiss and Blake have been walking in silence for a few minutes due to the unexpected appearance of a mysterious man named "Ashlan".

Weiss had a look of irritation on her face and finally decided to speak up. "Can you believe it?! We just let some random dude into our group without know who he is." Blake nods along. Her face is expressionless as she is also thinking of this whole situation as well. Weiss continues her rant. "Ruby also had the stupidity to rush in to help a random person in an area that only we can enter."

Blake decided to help Weiss calm down. "We should be fine. Doctor Oobleck probably has a plan with Mr. Ashlan." She holds her weapon while they are walking forward.

Weiss's face was obvious. She was full of doubt when Blake mentioned Doctor Oobleck. "Are you sure? I don't have that much faith in our professor."

Blake smiles a bit this time and looks to Weiss. "I mean he did give you one earlier when we were chasing those Grimm."

Weiss's cheeks go a bright red and she was furious as if fumes were coming out of her head. "Do not mention that again! It's not my fault that Doctor Oobleck doesn't look capable. At least I stood corrected when... he gave me one I guess." She feels responsible for her disbelief to Doctor Oobleck. She looks down, thinking what she should do later.

Blake concludes that Weiss needs some reassurance and sighs. "Doctor Oobleck is huntsman and he probably did not take anything you said to heart or anything you were implying."

Weiss puts her head up as she was a bit assured by Blake. She stops walking observes the surrounding area. There is nothing out of the ordinary here. Weiss turns around and looks behind. "Thanks. Let's go back. We have gone far enough."

Blake nods and follows Weiss as they begin to walk back to Doctor Oobleck.

At this point Weiss and Blake come back from their mission and go to Doctor Oobleck. The girl in black walks near Doctor Oobleck. "Doctor Oobleck our side is clear."

* * *

He nods and looks to Blake. "Good job girls. I'm finished treating Mr. Ashlan here and once Ruby and Yang come back then we will continue our search."

Blake and Weiss are astonished by how fast the gash in Ashlan's chest has recovered. Both, had a look of amazement and newfound confidence in their doctor. Blake acknowledges the doctor. "You really are a doctor Doctor Oobleck."

Oobleck points his finger to sky and back at Blake. "SEE! GETTING THAT PHD IS HARDER SAID THAN DONE GIRLS!" He calms down and coughs. "Anyway, before the other girls come back we need to address how we are going to protect our civilian here." He draws an imaginary formation at the air. "So, we will have three people in the front to serve as the vanguard while three at the back will be the rear guard. Mr. Ashlan will be at the back while I will be at the front accompanying the vanguard."

Right on que, Ruby and Yang come back from their search. Yang waves her hand high and shouts with the other. "WE'RE BACK!" They rejoin the group. "Did we miss anything?"

Oobleck looks at them and explains the same thing said to Weiss and Blake. After completing his explanation, he looks to all the girls. "Okay! We will keep the same pairing we had earlier. Weiss, Blake, and I at the front while Ruby, and Yang protect Mr. Ashlan! Is that understood?"

Mr. Ashlan also nods in agreement with his arm crossed. He looks at his equipment and realizes he needs something to protect himself. "If it's possible, may I wield a weapon to defend myself with?"

Everyone looks to Mr. Ashlan and Doctor Oobleck steps forward and puts his bag down. He looks through it and finds a standard retractable sword. "Ah! Found it!" He grabs it out of his bag and hands it over to The Ashen One. Without any of the girls noticing, Oobleck's eyes were fierce through his glasses as he hands over the sword. "I hope you are fine with this blade Mr. Ashlan."

The Ashen One was perplexed. "How can a sword retract and extend just like that?" He takes it from the professor with caution. He examines both side of the blade trying to find any weak points in its structure. The entire sword is colored white and it resembled any short sword he has seen before. There were no weak points. It was formidable and strong as any sword he has wielded. The Ashen One couldn't believe it even Andre would be impressed by this sword and it takes a lot to impress him. There was only one thing left to do.

He looks to Doctor Oobleck and nods. "I think this is an excellent sword Doctor. Allow me to test it."

Doctor Oobleck gives a thumbs up. "Go ahead Mr. Ashlan. I hope it fits your fighting style and does not detract from it."

Ashlan takes two steps backward and turns to left. With no one in his way he can give this sword a proper swing. He puts both his hands on the sword and breathes slowly. The Ashen One felt somewhat relieved after holding a weapon after for so long. It as if a missing part of puzzle was in place. He felt complete with a weapon in his hand. He readies the blade above his head and then as quickly, he swings it down. Everyone felt the air blown away from that slash. It was like the wind was trying to escape from being hit by the sword. They were at awe. The Ashen One swiftly takes a step forward with his left foot and with his momentum from his entire body, swings upward. Everyone felt it again but this time stronger than before. Ashlan twists his body to right and brings his arm backward. With his entire body from his feet to his torso, he thrusts forward. It seemed like a blade of wind shaped around the sword as it was being thrusted forward.

The Ashen One looks down at his new weapon and smiles. The weapon he had was well made and felt amazing. The sword was balanced and the weight was just right. He looked back to the group only to find them shocked at the display he has made. To him, this was a normal routine, so he does not know what they are shocked about. "Is there something wrong?" He asked the group.

Doctor Oobleck couldn't say anything. He just saw this man performed his skill effortlessly. His movement was quick and snappy. No wasted movement. No mistake or inaccuracies in his stance. This was a man who would have fought tooth and nail every day of his life to achieve this form and level of skill. His swordsmanship easily rivals the top huntsmen wielding a sword. Oobleck shakes his head regaining his consciousness and quickly responds to Ashlan. "No Mr. Ashlan. The way you use the sword was extraordinary and it's great that you are suited to the sword I have given you."

Team RWBY was still shocked. They did not say anything for a few seconds. Ruby greatly admired Mr. Ashlan and was happy to have an opportunity to learn from a great swordsman even if she used a scythe. Weiss was amazed. She refused to believe was she just saw. How can a no name man in the middle of nowhere have this level of finesse that would give her sister a run for her money. Blake has seen high level swordsmanship before from her ex-friend Adam but this was an entirely different level of swordsmanship and she was scared. She was scared because this person might betray them like Adam did. Yang was excited. She found another opponent to spar with and her opponent wouldn't be a pushover.

Ashlan faces the group and looks at his sword to find a button at the side of the handle. "What does this do?" He presses it and the blade and hand guard retract into the handle. "Oh, this is convenient." He places the handle in his pocket. "What is the plan?"

Doctor Oobleck realized the he forgot to tell Mr. Ashlan what they were doing here in the first place. "Well Mr. Ashlan we are here for one thing and that is to exterminate the collection of Grimm in this area. Once we have eliminated the Grimm we will go back to Beacon to report our mission."

Ashlan's deductions were confirmed. They were some sort of adventurers tasked to do something in this area although there are still other possibilities in his head. Ashlan wondered why four young girls would be allowed to be in such danger. He decides that he needs to know more about this world and puts both of his hands up. "Well Doctor I will do my best to not interfere with your mission and if possible, I would like to ask you a few questions later."

Oobleck nods in agreement and signals all the girls to move. "Let's continue searching for Grimm, girls!" They move in formation. Oobleck, Weiss, and Blake at the front while Ashlan, Ruby, and Yang at the back.

* * *

As time passed while they were walking around, Ashlan had time to think about the current state of this Age of Fire. They were technologically more advanced than they ever were but he did not see any sort of spells or magic been used. Instead of the Undead Curse or The Abyss they are in combat against soulless creatures named Grimm. This part of his thoughts had consumed him most of the trip. Were Grimm just another version of the Undead Curse or were they creatures of something like the Abyss? He just needed to know more. The most important question he needed an answer for was how was he going to extend this Age of Fire? He was already in the Kiln of the First Flame but he wasn't a Lord of Cinder. He isn't Unkindled as well. From his knowledge, there was no other Lord of Cinder present for him to slay. Maybe they will revive soon? Too many questions with few answers.

Ashlan decides to take a break from his thoughts and observe the actions of the people around him. Ruby and her sister Yang were more relaxed than the two girls at the front. Yang would give the occasional joke while Ruby would either give a lighthearted laugh or respond with dread. It warms his heart that these girls lived in a world where they can be happy and not worry about the end of everything which is a bit ironic since they are in a danger zone filled with dangerous creatures. He was a bit glad that they haven't tried pressed him with questions about himself. The answers he would give would probably not be substantial and it would only raise more questions.

Ashlan looks forward to see the girls named Weiss and Blake and their Doctor Oobleck. The two girls are more alert and serious about the current situation. It seemed like they haven't talked in a while but he could be wrong since he is a distance away from them. His eyes were drawn towards the white girl. Her walk gave an impression of elegance. Her attire was more formal than the others and at the back of her jacket she had a crest which he obviously hasn't seen before. She had a rapier at her belt which suggests that she fights with cunning and agility to defeat her opponents. Ashlan's best guess of her is that she is a girl who's family has a high standard of living. He would guess she came from royalty if he was asked. Ashlan has been around royalty for the majority of his life and he could tell when someone was one or not.

Yang being naturally more preceptive than Ruby, saw Ashlan with his eyes on Weiss. She crossed her arms and tilted her head to left while looking at Ashlan. "Staring at our princess are you?" She ends the sentence with a small tone of seductiveness.

Ruby looked at Yang wondering what she was talking about and looked towards the people to her right. Ashlan did not avert his gaze but he still answered Yang. "Is she really a princess?" He was undeterred with what Yang was suggesting and figured that this would give him a way to find out more about the world.

Ruby decided this was her time to enter the conversation. "Well, she is Schnee, so you could consider them royalty."

Yang nods along. "Schnee is the name a bunch of people know since you know... they are probably the biggest dust provider in the world which you should know."

Ashlan's guess was correct. "I see." He focused on something else entirely as Yang answered her question. Dust? Why would you want a provide for Dust? The Ashen One hoped that his Dust and their Dust were different. He would ask but he rather ask Doctor Oobleck about it. At least he knows that this girl came from a powerful family of some sort.

They continued walking along the road, taking some turns along the way and then his senses kicked in. He felt there was something or someone coming to kill them. He trusted his senses due to the fact it has developed from numerous deaths and betrayals. He puts his hand in his pocket and looks around. He wanted to make sure they weren't taken by surprise. He looked to Ruby and Yang. They were walking casually like it was nothing. He knew those girls had some semblance of skill or talent with fighting but he does not want any of these people to be hurt. It was easy to die against an enemy with the element of surprise.

Ruby looked to Ashlan and saw that his face was no longer relaxed but more alert and aware. "What's wrong Ashlan?" She asked curiously.

Before Ashlan can speak, a pack of beowolves were running at them from behind and everyone heard it. Ashlan turns around and grabs the sword from his pocket and extends it. "They're here."

* * *

 **And that was Chapter 4 of Messenger of Ash! I hope to enjoyed it. I know this chapter does not have any action at all but don't worry for the next chapter will probably be just fighting the whole chapter (which would be hard to write not gonna lie). I'm going to look forward to Weiss and The Ashen One interacting with each other. It would probably a wise mentor and student kinda thing. Anyway, remember to bash my writing and review! Thanks for reading and I hope you read the next chapter! (Whenever that will be released.)**


	5. Chapter 5 - Fault

**Hello everyone and welcome back to Messenger of Ash! I'm very sorry I left this for more than half a year! I don't really have a specific reason as to why this happened, I guess life just moved on and unconsciously I left this behind. Don't worry though I decided to sit down and write the chapter I had in mind. I have no intention of discontinuing this fanfic but I don't know if I will be consistent will updates but I will try. I do apologize if this chapter seems short but I just wanted to get this other half of chapter four out there! Anyway, let's get to the reviews!**

 **Zapper3000380: You're pretty neat as well. ;)**

 **curious guest: Well u-h this is a bit awkward. I don't intend to ship The Ashen One with any of the RWBY characters but things may change as this moves forward. Sorry for making you look forward to something that took seven months.**

 **themaskedswordsman: You're pretty good! ;)**

 **Guest: I mean, do you want him to have an Estoc instead?**

 **Ryoji Mochizuki: Me too! Once they find out, things are definitely going to be interesting.**

 **That is it! Here is Chapter 5: Fault**

* * *

The ground rumbles as the pack of Beowolves charge towards them in unison. Howls and growls become louder and louder with each step they take. They are at least fifteen to sixteen of them running in the pack.

Ashlan draws his sword and presses the extend button mid-draw. He was about rush forward until Ruby and Yang stepped in front of him. Yang grins at the Ashen One and cocks her gauntlets. "We got this Mr. Amnesia!" Yang leaps and uses the shotgun blasts to propel herself forward. Ruby follows and gives the peace sign to Ashlan while smiling.

Yang jumps in with a superman punch on the pack leader, at the same time; she fires the shotgun shells in her gauntlets. With the momentum of moving forward and then meeting Yang's punch, the pack leader's skull cracks and he's launched back at neck-breaking speeds. Yang laughs maniacally and meets the pack head-on. She gives a flurry of blows while the pack lunges at her. Yang manages to split the pack in half by sheer force and she shouts to Ruby. "I will take this side!" The older sister shifts to the left and charges in.

Ruby unsheathes Crescent Rose and runs at inhuman speeds. She runs towards the right side of the pack and spins with her scythe. During the spin, she uses the fires bullets from her scythe and that makes her spin even faster. She cuts through half of the group and stops. Ruby holds her scythe with two hands while three Beowolves surround her. She hears the one behind her lunge, and Ruby steps to the side and slashes the downward. The other two react and lunge at her at the same time. Ruby has taken down the first one but she hasn't realized the other two lunging at her.

Ashlan slices the two Beowolves in half as he came forward to help the two girls. Ashlan looks at Ruby. "Stay alert!" Ruby jerks her head at Ashlan, she did not know he was there. Ruby nods her head. "Sorry!" Ashlan and Ruby look to the left and see Yang destroying the other group.

Yang uppercuts, jabs, and straights her way through her group. All of the beowolves surround her and goes into a prowling stance. Yang smirks and shrugs. "Is that all you got?" She goes back into her orthodox form and that's when the Beowolves pounce at the same time. They pile on Yang only for them to recoil back. The blonde girl stomps the ground with one foot and shouts. Yang's aura forces them back and she was able to grab one Beowolf and slam his head to the asphalt. She then tosses it to left, hitting one other Beowolf on its way. Two Beowolves come to her sides and slash downward. Yang blocks it with both of her gauntlets and the other two take this opportunity and strike. She holds her block and braces for the incoming attack.

Ruby and Ashlan jump into the fray. Ruby plants her scythe to the ground and shoots the Beowolf in front of Yang. Ashlan leaps forward and slashes downward, chopping the Beowolf's head off. Yang rotates her body counter-clockwise and the Beowolves slash the ground. She jumps off one foot and meets one of them eye to eye. She gives a right hook and then lands. She then uses that momentum and uses her right leg to kick the Beowolf's head. Both Beowolves are launched in opposite direction and lay lifeless on the road.

The panting Yang dust herself off and looks at Ashlan and Ruby. "I totally had that." Ruby laughs. "You totally did!" Yang leans on one foot and puts her hand on her hips. "What'cha think of that Mr. Amnesia?" She then drops the gesture after seeing the worried face of The Ashen One. He was beyond worried. He was scared that the first decent people he has met in a long time could have died. His eyes seem so distant and hurt at the same time. Yang does not miss a beat and leans forward. "Yo-u okay there? It seems like you just a met a Grimm for the first time." Ruby's face has changed from happiness to concern. She frowns. "You fought those Beowolves right? I hope you're alright." Both sisters anxiously wait for a response from Ashlan.

He opens his mouth as he was about to say something then bites his lower lip. He clenches both of his fists but his face relaxes. He tries to look relieved and he gives small smile. "Yes I am." He looks off to the side, not being able to look to them eye to eye. Yang's face becomes more serious and decides to stay silent. Ruby looks to the ground, still worried about Ashlan. Yang looks towards where Oobleck and the others should be. "Hey Ruby, let's check on the others." Ruby nods and looks at Ashlan. "Just stay behind us okay? This is our job after all!" The sentence becomes more hopeful towards the end. Ashlan nods and does not say anything. Ruby and Yang ready their weapons and move forward.

After two steps, Ashlan stops. "Dad! ********! Help us!" Ruby and Yang look back. "Mr. Amne-" The Ashen One is brought to his knees. The two sisters run over and kneel beside him. They both try to support him. "Ruby stay here! I'll call the others." Yang bolts as fast as she can towards the other group. Ruby shakes him. "Mr. Ashlan you okay?! Ashlan!" Her words cannot be heard. It's replaced by the deafening sounds of clanging steel and roaring fires. He opens his eyes to see monstrosities enter through a large gate. It slaughters everything in its way. The flames do nothing to illuminate these creatures. They are like shadows and move like them, moving swiftly and lethally to each bystander, cutting them down one by one.

******** looks at his himself. He is adorned in Plate Armor and wearing a familiar red cloak over the breastplate. His helmet is shattered beside a destroyed fountain. His shield and sword nowhere to be seen. He looks forward and the face of Ruby and this scene flickers in and out rapidly. It seemed like Ruby was saying something but he can't hear it. Finally, all he sees is the burning city he is in. The knight looks around like there is something he's supposed to find. Something so important, that he would die for it but what was it? Through the crowd, his eyes lock on to two people, a woman and a child. They reach their hands forward.

"Help us!"

He tries to stand up and sprint forward but his arms and legs are still. He keeps trying again and again but as if the more he wills to move forward the more these imaginary chains pull him down. ******** looks at them, and tries to shout but no words come out. Suddenly, a dark figure ten times larger than them looms over them. They stop where they are, the woman is hugging the child closely to her chest. The dark figure morphs into a gigantic Beowolf and he raises his claw and slashes downward. Time slows down, and as if time itself wanted to torture the Ashen One. He sees how slow these people are ripped apart, limb from limb. The blood splatters everywhere and even reaches where he was. He can't even see who they were but as their lives faded away, The Ashen One felt something was taken away from him. It was something essential and so dear to him but he can't put a name on them. He can't remember what or who they were. He can't remember their faces or the memories he spent with them. He doesn't know why it hurts. He doesn't know them.

To him, it hurts more that despite his best, he can't remember. It hurts that before he can properly identify them, they were taken away. The Ashen One can't hold it in. The thousands of deaths he experienced wouldn't compare to this. This pain was something different, like his soul was forcefully ripped out of his body. Tears run down his face, but why? He screams, but why? Why did it hurt so much?

 _ **"It was your fault."  
**_

"N-o no it wasn't!"

 _ **"It was your fault!"**_

"I tried! I tried my best!"

 _ **"Your best wasn't enough! We are dead!"**_

 _ **"You're a failure."**_

 _ **"A disgrace."**_

 _ **"You call yourself a knight?"**_

 _ **"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"**_

They all start blending all together and they replace the sounds of clanging steel and roaring fires. He tries to cover his ears and all he can do is sit there. He pushes his hands harder and harder to his ears but it becomes louder and louder. He tries to scream louder to deafen the whispers in his head. It doesn't stop.

"Please stop!"

 _ **"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT."**_

"Why? Why are you doing this?"

 **"Ashlan!"**

A young lady's voice pierces through the whispers and Ashlan now sees a crying Ruby beside him. The pain has stopped. He can move again and he can feel again. His right hand being held by Ruby and he can feel the running tears down his face. Ruby tightens her grip on his hand. "Are you okay?" Ashlan puts his hand near Ruby's face and wipes away her tears. "I'm sorry for scaring you Ruby, that's your name yes?" Ruby nods but her tears don't stop. "It looked like you were in so much pain and I couldn't do anything." The Ashen One frowns and looks at Ruby's eyes. "It's okay. Thank you for staying beside me. Where's your sister?" Ruby loosens her group and tilts her head towards where the others should be. "Yang went ahead and called for help." Ashlan sighs. "Is it alright for me to ask you if you could help me up?" Ruby nods and helps him up. The Ashen One can barely stand up on his own. He is completely drained from that vision. He keeps one arm over Ruby's shoulder. They walk in silence as they try to catch up to Yang and the others.

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 **And that was Chapter 5 of Messenger of Ash! I hope you enjoyed it! Once again, I'm sorry that it is so short. You know when I said I was looking forward to Weiss and Ashlan interacting? I'm looking forward to all interactions with Ashlan at this point. I hope this fleshes out Ashlan a bit. I wanted him to feel real and be a character rather someone we can portray ourselves into. Next chapter will be about Oobleck's group's POV through out this entire thing. Anyway, remember to bash my writing and review! Thanks for reading and I hope you read the next chapter! (Whenever that will be released.)**


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